23/11/2011 (Deccan Chronicle) - To bring down the import of crude palm oil, mainly from Malaysia and Indonesia and save foreign exchange, both the Centre and state governments have initiated measures to encourage the cultivation of palm oil on Indian soil by providing incentives to farmers under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

Though the state government has identified nearly four lakh acres as feasible in terms of soil texture and climatic conditions for cultivation of palm oil in the state, at present it is being cultivated only over about 70,000 acres.

Nearly 60 acres at Vetamamidi village in Addateegala mandal in East Godavari Agency area was identified for cultivation of palm oil.

The horticulture authorities maintain that nearly 60 lakh saplings are required for this acreage. Instead of importing the plant material again from Malaysia, they intend to develop a hybrid variety of oil palm plant through cross pollination.

They will rope in the services of scientists from the Directorate of Oil Palm Research at Pedavegi, Jangareddygu-dem in West Godavari and Kerala for developing this. On the 60 acres government land, land development will be taken up and drip irrigation facilities provided.

The plantation is expected to begin from June 2012 and the Centre has sanctioned Rs.80 lakh in the initial phase under the RKVY.

The horticulture assistant director, Mr K. Chittibabu said, “With available infrastructure in the research centres and imported plant material, we are going to develop a hybrid variety of the plant having a good yield and remunerative to farmers who cultivate them.”